Paint You By Numbers
by ddollfacedd
Summary: When Puck decides to move to NYC to be back with all of his glee club friends, he and Quinn have trouble accepting everything between them. It's been three years, but there are still strong feelings between the ex-couple.
1. Yesterdays Feelings

It's been a dreary, snowy day in the city that never sleeps. Quinn is exhausted from her amount of school work and the extra stress of her job. Putting the key into the lock of her apartment, she hears a familiar voice singing away and strumming on a guitar. She listens before she goes any further.

_I'm out of touch, I'm out of love, I'll pick you up when you're getting down  
And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now  
I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind, I'll do it all for you in time  
And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now_

She smiles softly as the voice sings her favorite Ed Sheeran song. She knows exactly who it is, but she wants him to keep singing. For some reason, his voice sounded more beautiful than she remembered. She was also curious as to how he got into her place. She turns the door knob and slowly opens the door, hoping that she wouldn't stop him from singing. She tried slipping in unnoticed and it somewhat worked. Rachel looked up at her with a smile, as did Sam. It was like reunion for all of them. She stayed by the door until the song was finished.

"Puckerman," she smiled while walking into the living room. Puck looked up at her and he felt his heart skip a beat. His eyes lit up with happiness and he flashed her a genuine smile before setting his guitar aside and standing up. They walked towards each other and held each other tight. It felt like it was something that was totally meant to be and it probably was, but it had gone wrong back in high school, so why would it happen now?

"You don't call, you don't Skype, you don't text." He chuckled while still holding her in his arms, not wanting to let her go. Out of all the girls Puck had welcomed into his life, Quinn was the one that never escaped his mind. He would never admit that to anyone, but he would be lying if he said he didn't think about her quite often and what could've been.

"Oh, like you'd want to actually hear from me?" She slipped a sly smile and loosened herself from his grip.

"I actually would. I thought you died, Quinn. Not cool." She scoffed and made her way towards the couch, ready to ask who let him into her apartment. Yes, she was happy, but why did he come all the way across the U.S. just to see them? She didn't even think he had the money to do so, but at the same time, she was one of the only people that believed he could accomplish anything.

For a second, she had a flashback to the day that Beth was born. She didn't want to have it, but she remembered something special that happened between the two.

_"Do you love me?" Quinn asked as they looked through the window at the life they had created._

_"Yes… Especially now." He looked embarrassed to admit it, but he looked over at her and smiled, making the girl smile back._

Snapping back into reality, she smiled to herself. To this very day there was something about him that she couldn't let go. Maybe that was just the Noah Puckerman way, but she couldn't help herself. He wasn't the ideal boyfriend, but he was sweet and very charming when he wanted to be. Maybe it was the fact that he was the only one that meant it when he said that he loved her, even if it was a rarity.

"Why are you here, Puck?" She sounded like he didn't want him there, but it was just the fact that she was completely exhausted from the long week that she had. Everyone could tell by looking at the bags under her eyes that she desperately tried to hide.

He raised an eyebrow and sat down in between her and Sam. "I'm moving to New York, baby!" He pumped his fist in the air like it was a major accomplishment. All the while in Los Angeles, he missed his friends. His glee club friends that he had grown fond of even when he tried not to let that happen. He loved them no matter what and he couldn't bond with anyone like that in L.A. so it was a decision he had to make: Dread in L.A. or happiness in N.Y.C.

Quinn squeezed her eyes together and sighed loudly. "Oh, really?" Everyone in the room nodded their head. All of their three mutual friends had huge grins on their faces. They were more excited than Finn actually was. They might of all been Lima Losers, but somehow they all made their way here in the three years after graduation. It was slow, one-by-one that it all managed to happen, but it did and no one was more grateful.

"He's my new roommate," Sam told the girl who had a look of distaste on her face. She was happy, but at the same time she was scared about what could happen between the two of them now that he was going to be living here.

Needless to say, Sam had lost the girl he loved to the girl that she loved. Brittany and Sam just weren't meant to be and he was struggling to let her go. He saw something in Santana that he could never give the blonde girl.

The group of friends reminisced about the past and talked about their current situations and plans for the futures. It seemed like every single one of them always had plans for the future, even if it was way off in the distance. After a while, Finn and Rachel decided that it would be a good idea to flag down a cab and go home. They said their goodbyes and out the door they went. Sam wandered down the seven flights of steps and walked home in the apartment building right next to Quinn's.

The silence had grown thick between the ex's. It wasn't awkward, but it was something that didn't feel right. Suddenly, Puck brushed a piece of hair out of the girls face. They looked at each other with intensity and finally broke into smiles. The boy reached over and pulled her into his chest by her shoulder. She didn't even try to argue with it. He leaned back onto the arm of the couch and smiled.

"I'm guessing you're glad that I'm back?" He winked down at her. Her face had softened.

"Not necessarily." She sighed. She remembered the way that they had left everything back in Lima and it made her feel uncomfortable, but as she lay in his arms, she was content. It was like the old days when she would force him to lie down and hold her.

"You're such a liar, Quinn Fabray. I'm a thousand times hotter than I was in high school and it's pretty damn obvious." She rolled her eyes and hit his chest. She got up and told him that it would be a good idea to leave since it was almost one in the morning and she had school tomorrow. He tried to go in for a kiss goodnight, but she turned away.

"Puck," she warned him, "don't even think about it." He rolled his eyes, thinking that she wanted him as badly as he still wanted her. She turned him around and pointed towards the direction of the door. Once the door was closed behind him, Quinn leaned up against it, trying to figure out what was going through her head. Puck and her would never work out and why would she even be thinking about it this soon? Hell, they just saw each other for the first time in two years and it was only for a few hours.


	2. Blame Games

The Unholy Trinity was back together at Brittany and Santana's apartment so Quinn could explain her unexpected run-in with Puck. It wasn't much of a run in as it was he was sitting on her couch because Rachel and Finn let him in with their spare key. Santana, who was all over Puck in high school laughed, and Brittany thought it was a dumb idea that he'd even come here, considering that Jake was roaming around the city also. Jake and Puck hadn't really talked in a year and a half thanks to an explosive fight that the two brothers and their mothers got into.

"Gross," Santana spat, "I can't believe Mohawk and Trouty-Mouth are living together." The other two girls laughed at her, but the brunette was completely serious.

Finally, Britt had a comment that wasn't expected. "It's better to be with people you know than to be on your own, ya'know?" Santana and Quinn shot her a weird look because she was actually being logical for once. Quinn knew exactly what she meant, but she didn't want to think about it.

"Hey, the way I see it is that the shared ex's are living together and won't bother us if they're too busy with each other… If you know what I mean…" Santana always thought that everyone was sleeping together and didn't care about their sexual orientation.

"They're not… doing that…" Quinn told her. "You're delusional."

"And you're a goody-two-shoes and a prude."

**888**

Puck started his first day in New York trying to move all of his stuff into Sam's apartment and the rest of his first day was spent at his new job as a bartender. It was a complete shock that he had gotten the job without ever going in and only doing over-the-phone interviews with the owner. It was one of the best bars in the city, right in the heart of Times Square.

Around midnight he saw a crowd of familiar faces walk through the door with huge smiles on their faces. They all ran up to the bar wanting to throw their arms around their long-lost friend.

"You're too young to be here. Didn't you get carded outside?" Puck said while pointing to Sam, Tina, and Blaine.

"Nope!" Blaine shouted over the music while leaning across the bar to give Puck a hug. Puck had forgotten what it was like to feel this loved by a group of complete losers. They were who they were and they were all in glee club for a reason. They made each other better and stronger people. Without them, none would have had someone to turn to in their time of need. There might have always been something wrong with someone, but one of their friends was always there to pick them off of the ground day after day, year after year.

Puck smiled thinking about how tight the group used to be. "I'm glad you're all here." He admitted to the group with a crooked smile on his face. "Drinks on me!"

**888**

Around three a.m. Puck walked Quinn to a cab. She was the only one there still chatting up some cute guy in the corner who was by himself. To be honest, Puck felt a sting of jealousy, but he knew right now he had to take care of his friend who was overly tipsy.

After Beth was born, he had taken a silent vow to always take care of her no matter the distance, the cost, or if their friendship didn't exist. He's the one that made her a mess way back in sophomore year, so he was going to be the one to fix her in one way or another.

"How much did you even have to drink?" He asked once they were both in the cab. Quinn laid her head against the cold window while her feet draped over his legs.

"You should know seeing as you're the one who served them to me." Her face was filled with annoyance and her tone was blank and monotone.

"There were a bunch of customers, Quinn, I couldn't have kept count." After her comment, his voice grew bitter. He just wanted an answer as to why she was acting like this, but then he suddenly remembered that she was the angry drunk and always took her sorrow and angst out on Puck.

After a thick silence filled the cab while they were half way to the apartments, Quinn looked over at Puck with a look that he hadn't seen in years. And to say the least, it wasn't pretty. He was preparing himself for whatever words were going to come out of her mouth.

Quinn started chuckling for no reason. "You know you ruined my life, right?" The anger had dropped from her voice and now it was soft and soothing, as if she was okay with it.

"How many times do I have to apologize for that?!" He was tired of hearing it, even though she hadn't said it since senior year of high school. At one moment in Quinn's demented mind, he was the definition of a Lima Loser and in a turn of events, he was also the best thing that's ever happened to her. "I didn't mean to knock you up, I didn't mean to make you the way that I did, and I most defiantly did not mean to ruin your life. There were a lot of dumb things I did in high school and trust me, I do know that, but the one thing I truly regret more than others is getting you pregnant. I should've just let Finn go on thinking that he was the father because maybe then you two would still be happy together and going along with your merry little lives." He settled down a little and continued his rant. "And don't even think for a second that I never loved Beth because I always have and always will; she wasn't a regret, she was just a surprise that I'm glad happened."

Quinn frowned and looked out the window for the rest of the ride home. She was left completely speechless. The Puck she knew wouldn't say something like that without adding dumb comments and maybe this was just him growing up a little. They got out and Puck paid the cabbie and thanked him for the ride and after he walked Quinn up to her apartment, making sure that she was safe. "For the record," Quinn sighed, "it's okay that it all happened because no one else would've tried to take care of me the way you did." Puck just nodded his head and took the keys out of her hand, unlocking the door for her.

"Go," he demanded and followed her inside.

"What happened to your cocky bad-ass ways?" Quinn asked him while he was in the kitchen pouring her a glass of water.

Walking back into the living room he handed her the water and sat next to her on the couch. "You're a bitch when you have alcohol in your system, so it's not entirely fair."

"You've grown up," she realized and stared at the glass that was sitting in her hands. Puck let out a light laugh and ran his hand over his signature mohawk that he's been sporting since high school. Though it was shaved off for a while, he decided to grow it back since he was going to be in New York. He wanted everything to feel like old times.

"I'm still the immature asshole you've always known." He gave her an assuring grin while she gazed at him. She didn't know how this spark was still there, but she hoped like hell that he still felt it too. Maybe it was just the alcohol speaking. Maybe it was just that he was here and he hadn't been around for quite some time. Or maybe it was just the plain truth. Either way she was about to do something that she knew she was going to regret in the morning and it didn't even have to do with tasting Puck's lips all over again.

She started to sing and singing was something she didn't do anymore. In fact, other than singing along to her iPod every once in a great while, she didn't sing in front of anyone anymore. It shocked her when the words were coming out of her mouth.

_You're like an Indian summer in the middle of winter  
Like a hard candy with a surprise center  
How do I get better once I've had the best  
You said there's tons of fish in the water, so the waters I will test  
He kissed my lips, I taste your mouth  
He pulled me in, I was disgusted with myself  
Cause when I'm with him, I am thinking of you, thinking of you  
What you would do if you were the one who was spending the night  
Oh, I wish that I was looking into your eyes_

Before she could go on, Puck stood up and started to pick her up and tried to carry her to her bed. "Stay with me." She wasn't asking, she was demanding it. "Please."

He was filled with anger that not even sleep or alcohol could fix. "No, Quinn, just go to bed. You're drunk."

And with that, he walked out of her room, closing the door behind him. He walked out of the apartment and stomped his way to the stairs, ready to slam his fist into a wall.

* * *

**A/N:** I know this is only the second chapter, but I wanted to get some of their story out. The next few will include other relationships like Finnchel, Brittana, and Klaine because I love them all so much. Please keep reviewing and favoriting because it makes me feel good. I actually didn't expect any attention from the first chapter so far, but you're all so amazing. (:


	3. Sunday Dinner

Seeing as it was the third Sunday of the month, it was time for the old friends to reunite at Rachel and Finn's apartment so they could all get together and talk as a group. This has been happening every few weeks, no matter who was in New York and who wasn't. Actually, this was the longest break they had taken from doing dinners since the break-up that had happened between Sam and Brittany. In fact, those two hadn't been in the same room since their relationship took a turn for the worse… Or at least, in Sam's eyes, it was for the worse. On Brittany's end, it was something that she needed and wanted for so long, but she didn't know how she could go on living damaging not only Santana, but herself. Ultimately, she didn't want to harm Sam, but it had to happen.

In the Berry-Hudson household, all was calm except for in the kitchen. Finn watched football in the living room while laying on his stomach and facing the screen. If someone would've walked in, you thought you'd been witnessing a seven year-old on a Saturday morning watching cartoons and not a twenty-two year old. From the kitchen, he heard Rachel sing and swear, trying to get everything perfect. She was too well-organized about her cooking to have anyone bother or help her while doing so, so the couple kept their distance on these certain group-dinner days.

* * *

When Sam entered the living room, he saw a concentrated Puck slouched into the couch watching some Sunday afternoon football game. "You don't want to go to this thing either, do you?" He asked his friend who looked like he'd rather sit at home and eat junk food than go out and greet his friends and get a good, homemade meal.

Puck raised his eyebrows in response. "Not feeling up to seeing Quinn." It wasn't a lie, though it may have sounded like it. The man was tired from his bar shifts, he was far too tired to come up with a lie. In fact, the past six days since the incident at the bar, Puck had been doing everything in his might to avoid her.

Sam sunk into the couch next to his mohawked friend and checked out the score on the screen before returning to the conversation that he had started. "Yeah, so what even happened there?"

His face almost looked sour trying to think up an answer, but he slowly realized that he had no idea what had happened between the two of them. She was a drunken mess, what else was there? She was revealing things in subtle ways that were going to end up embarrassing her the next time they saw each other.

The two friends shut off the TV and started taking a walk towards Rachel and Finn's place and on the way, they ran into Quinn. Quinn didn't even want to look at Puck and instead she tried to calm down Sam's nerves since he was getting worked up about seeing both Brittany and Santana. It made him feel a bit better that Brittany was nervous about seeing him also, but it didn't make up for the fact that she hurt him.

* * *

All of the friends hugged and greeted each other before sitting down at the table. Looking around the table you could see that some people were hurt about past relationships and others were looking for a way to not think about it. Mike looked envious as he saw Tina push Artie through the door, but he tried to keep himself distracted by chatting with Finn. Brittany and Sam couldn't even look at each other and you could tell that earlier that day, Kurt and Blaine had fought about something that was still bothering the both of them.

Rachel didn't want anyone to start eating before she told them her great news. She had gotten the role as Glinda in Broadway's musical Wicked. She was being her normal Rachel Berry self and kept talking in a rapid pace about everything that will be happening in the next year of her life. They all smiled at her, but each of them were staring at the food that lay in front of them. It smelled so good that all of their mouths were filling with saliva.

Looking across the table, Puck spots Santana. She has one hand on her drink with two fingers quietly tapping the glass that holds her drink with annoyance as Rachel rambles on and on. He can't help but to keep looking in her direction, trying to figure out what seemed so different about her. Tonight she had worn her hair down, leaving it to hang over her shoulders. In the city's blistering cold, she only wore a lightweight black leather jacket, jeans, and a pair of matching black leather boots. Maybe it was because Puck was half expecting her to be wearing her red Cheerios outfit with her hair in a bouncy pony-tail after all of these years. Yes, everyone would see her in street clothes every once in a while, but it was still hard to adjust even after all of these years.

Puck kept staring at the Latino girl and had slipped into a world of his own and Santana took full notice. When she couldn't break his stare without talking and interrupting the overly talkative brunette at the end of the table, she thought that the only thing that would help him was a swift kick between the legs. The girl smiled to herself as she swung her leg as hard as she could, barely missing his manhood. Puck immediately snapped out of it and shot backwards in his chair. Rachel had stopped talking and everyone had their eyes on Puck and a playfully bitchy Santana. He was having a small panic attack with his hands on the inside of his thighs, thanking the universe that the tip of her two hadn't moved two inches to the right, while she laughed to herself so hard that her face was almost purple.

"The fuck, San!?" He screamed and bent over like he was more hurt than he was. To Puck, he was having agonizing flashbacks to the times that she actually had kicked him square in the balls.

"Stop staring, Puckerman!" She screamed at him and threw her hands up in the air. She had a lighthearted mischievous look on her face, one that said she was glad that he was back into their daily lives. Puck and Santana were ones that always got along, through the ups and downs that they accidentally created for themselves. To her, she used him to hide who she truly was until the time was ready, but that doesn't mean that between those few years, they didn't form a friendship. They bonded like brother and sister by the end of high school and they still did. It delighted her that he was in her presence the way that she had waited for since graduation.

Blaine sharply inhaled before turning to Rachel and opening his mouth to speak. "Can we start eating?" He was getting antsy and as much as he adored that his friend got a role in one of her favorite musicals, he was starving. Finn didn't wait for an answer, he started going for the food anyway.

"Since Noah and Santana rudely interrupted, I guess we can." You could literally see the relief wash over everyone faces as they dashed their hands towards the food that lay out in front of them.

* * *

It was late by the time everyone had left their apartment. Sam was saying his goodbyes to the couple and Mike. Puck had already made a beeline downstairs in hopes that Quinn wouldn't follow. He almost prayed that she was going to stay and help Rachel clean up the mess and then take a cab home with Mike. When he heard the door behind him open as he sat on the stoop, he knew that it wasn't Sam. "You're ignoring me," she muttered.

He acknowledged her, but didn't care to give her an exact answer. Instead, she sat down next to him on the cold pavement and in a short matter of time, she started shivering. Puck sighed and stood up, taking off his leather coat and placing it around her shoulders.

"Not gonna talk about what happened?" She asked once more, but still there was no answer, just a bitter silence. "When we get back, come upstairs and talk to me for a few seconds, please?" She was begging for an answer and the silence was practically killing her at this point. She didn't think he'd be this upset over drunk words and a song that she let slip out of her mouth, but he was. She wasn't even that embarrassed about it, actually. "Puck," she pleaded while taking a step towards him up against the door. "Please." He nodded to shut her up and pulled her into his grip, unable to take the sight of her shivering anymore. Quinn was his weakness, especially when she was getting on his nerves.


	4. Tiny Secrets

"Let's get things straight," Quinn started in a tight voice, "I didn't mean to do what I did last time we saw each other. But at the same time, who cares? I sang. I didn't try to kiss you or sleep with you." Puck looked bored and anxious; he didn't want to have this conversation. Sometimes conversations were nerve-racking when he hated the topic. He wanted to let it go and keep avoiding her until she could drop the subject. He nodded his head, waiting for her to finish. "At the same time, I don't regret it. There was no shame. Maybe it was my true feelings, but I'm not so sure about that. I am sure that I've missed you like crazy and the reason I didn't talk to you when you were living in Los Angeles was because it made me miss you more. It was easier to forget about your existence than to talk to you and miss you every hour of every day."

Her words confused Puck. In his mind he was thinking that everyone wanted to think about him like that, but he understood her. He wanted to forget that she was living when he called and she wouldn't answer or ever call back. There wasn't anything about their situation that wasn't complicated. He still loved her even if he had a difficult time admitting that to himself. He lied about it, trying to convince himself that he wasn't and that he only cared for her because of their daughter.

"Where do we go from here?" He was actually curious about the situation. He was hoping it was a step forward as he shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling that was running through his veins. He started to lean himself back and forth without making eye contact. It was obvious that he was nervous when he shouldn't have been in the first place.

Quinn frowned and ran a hand over her face trying to find the right words to say. After a minute of thinking, she opened her mouth to speak, but she knew damn well that Puck wouldn't want to hear these words. "If I think I know what you're talking about then the honest opinion is that we should stay friends and nothing more than that." She bit her lip while crossing one of her arms to touch the other. "I love you, I truly do. And always will and it maybe it's because you're my child's father."

He nodded his head in a slow fashion; he wasn't about to fight with her. "Can I stay the night?" He raised his eyebrows at her with a cocky smile on his face. There was a need for a subject change.

Quinn's eyes lit up when she let out a soft giggle. "I don't think that's a great idea," she admitted to the boy. He turned around and took a seat on the couch. He stuck his feet out in front of him and grabbed Quinn by the knees, making her fall on top of him and he held her tight enough so she wouldn't be able to escape his grip. "Dammit, Puck," the girl huffed, "let me go." She was struggling to get out of his grip; anything to stop herself from being that close to him.

"Can I please stay, Quinn?" He started laughing as she squirmed around in his grasp. "I'm not letting you go until you say yes." She stayed there until she realized that he truly wasn't going to give up. His grin widened when she let out a huge, defeated sigh.

"Fine, you win." She rolled her eyes at him after he finally let go of her. She rolled over to the seat next to him and he pumped his fists in the air from his achievement. "You're a dirtbag."

"A very smart dirtbag, maybe."

"Let's go," she stood up off the couch with a sigh and walked into her room. For a bit she contemplated leaving him to stay in the living room, but after a while, she realized that sometimes she got lonely in her apartment. It wouldn't of been fair to leave him there when she was sick of sleeping alone. "And no funny business." Her voice was modulated, a pure controlled voice that was almost music to Puck's ears.

He promised that nothing would happen, that he was exhausted and just didn't want to walk next door to go home. Plus, he was cold. Quinn knew it was a blatant lie, but she let it slip. She went into the bathroom and changed into sweat pants and a tank top and by the time she was finished, Puck was already halfway asleep on the bed. Shutting off the light, she smiled and climbed into bed right next to him. Puck sleepily pulled her near him so her head was resting in the crook of his neck. "Goodnight," he mumbled to her. He was already gone and Quinn was right behind him.

* * *

Back at Sam and Puck's apartment, the blonde sat there alone with a blank look on his face. Inside, his head was running through a thousand memories of him and Brittany. He knew before they dated that she loved Santana, but he thought he could get what he wanted and make her fall in love with him. She did love him, but she loved her more. Their relationship lasted for over a year and a half and when she let him go, his entire world flipped upside down.

Without thinking, he walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured some of it into a glass cup. On his way back to his bedroom he decided to go back and grab the entire bottle. He laid in his bed with Bright Eyes playing loud enough for him to drift away from this world and into another one where he was happy. Maybe "It's Cool, We Can Still Be Friends" was overly fitting, but it wasn't something he should have been listening to.

An hour later, he was laying flat on his stomach with his arms dangling over the edge of his bed. He laughed to himself about the pure irony of the situation. It had happened a few months back, but that didn't stop him from feeling what he did. With half of the bottle gone, he picked up his phone and flipped onto his back. The light from the screen was so bright in his dark, cold room that he squinted to look at the screen and after dropping it on his face a few times, he entered six digits of her number. He was contemplating begging her to come back to him, but in the long run he understood that this would mean that they wouldn't be able to grow as friends again sometime in the near future.

Without his roommate home to talk to, he decided that he'd get some sleep. Though he hugged the bottle close to his chest, he knew that the hangover tomorrow morning would be so epic that he'd regret tonight. Work wasn't going to be an easy task.

* * *

Blaine rolled his eyes as he climbed into bed next to Kurt. They both knew what was bothering him, but Blaine didn't even want to get started, but he opened his mouth and said it anyway. "I love Rachel, you know that, right?" Kurt nodded his head with a '_mhmm_' as he flipped through the latest issue of Vogue. "Okay, good." He paused and looked over at his boyfriend, knowing that Kurt knew exactly what he was about to say. Tonight was one of those times where Blaine was overly annoyed by Rachel's self-centered tactics. She wanted to talk about herself all night and sometimes that annoyed every one of her friends. Yes, they had grown used to it in high school, but even that wasn't enough to stop the irritation sometimes.

"She's happy," Kurt started, "I think we should just let her boast for a few days." Kurt and Rachel had been best friends for a few years, so he knew where she was coming from, even when in actuality, it bothered him just as much as it did Blaine. "She'll get over it sooner or later." Blaine shook his head in agreement, even though in his head he was cursing at Rachel and Kurt for this. He was truly happy for her, but he wanted to talk about other things than her all night. "Let's just get some sleep." The boy reached over and turned off the light on the bedside table and kissed his love goodnight. Blaine sighed as he tried to fall asleep. Kurt and Blaine had news of their own, but tonight wasn't the time they were able to tell anyone about it and it upset him that Kurt didn't care as much as he did.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm finally getting into lives other than Quinn and Puck so I hope this makes some of you happy. There's a little foreshadowing in here, but you'll see where that comes into play later. Either way, don't hate me for what's to come with one of these five characters in later chapters. Thank you all for the reviews and favorites/follows. You're all amazing. Please keep commenting because I'm selfish and I adore it. (:


	5. Little Garçon

Quinn woke up the next morning with a warm, heavy sensation draped across her stomach. She slowly opened her eyes, but was blinded by the bright sunlight peeking trough the window shades. Looking next to her, she suddenly remembered what was going on. She saw a peaceful Puck in a deep, calm sleep. A smile crept upon her face as he lay there, his breathing slowly lifting him up and down. The girl was happy that she had nothing to do today because she could lay there forever and be completely fine with it.

When Puck was away, Quinn dreamed of waking up like this almost every single day. Yes, she had a few boyfriends over the years, but none of them truly stuck the way that he did. She'd wake up with a scrawny brunette man next to her and wonder what she was even doing with her life. While those boys would sleep, she'd drift away into this dream that the guy next to her was Puck and that they had this amazing life together. She'd never admit this to anyone though, especially not Puck. All of her exes were extreme failures and it was probably because all of those men and Quinn were far too alike in every way, but when it came to Puck, they were almost polar opposites.

"Hey," Puck yawned. A smile immediately rose on his face when he remembered who was laying beside him. She looked up at him with a sparkle in her eye.

_Happiness is waking up on a Monday morning with someone you love next to you._

"Good morning." She rolled a bit so her head was resting on his chest and his arm behind her, letting his hand run up and down her left arm. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty damn good," he chuckled. They laid there for a few more minutes, taking every single perfection in and painting a picture of it in their heads.

_Happiness is laying in bed as pure silence surrounds you and the sunlight drowns you._

"So," Quinn finally started to talk again, "what are you going to do today?"

"Am I allowed to stay right here until I go to work tomorrow night?" His voice was childlike, as if he was whining. He pulled her closer to him and she started to blush for no clear reason.

_Happiness is being able to hear your favorite person's heart beat as your head rests on their chest. _

"Nope," Quinn laughed. "Not acceptable." It wasn't a lie. Quinn wasn't someone to lay in bed all day, even though with him it sounded tempting. Just nine hours ago she wanted him to stay on the couch and now she was so close to him that she could hear his heartbeat as his chest rose and fell with his breathing. This wasn't something that the blonde girl was fond of for the fact that she hated getting attached to people and with Puck, it was something that was always bound to happen. She hated herself for it, yet she also hated her fear of commitment. And she absolutely hated herself for allowing him into her bed and actually enjoying it. It had been what she wanted for so long, but he had only been in New York for a week and it was all moving too fast to keep up with. "Come on," she sighed while lifting her body up, "get up. I'll make you breakfast after I shower." She hit him across the chest lightly and started to get off of the bed. Puck smiled as she made her way into the bathroom.

He kept thinking about how happy he was and yet how strange it was at the same time. He had spent all of his high school years with this girl and even had a child with her. He thought for the longest time that he had ruined her life, but now, he thought otherwise. He didn't know how blissful he was while sleeping next to that same girl with no sex involved, even though he thought it was some sort of sexual contact would happen.

_Happiness was coming together with someone you loved after many years._

Puck finally dragged himself out of bed after many minutes of deep thought. He needed coffee. Nine in the morning had always been too early for him, but lately it had got worse and worse. As he passed the bathroom on his way to the kitchen, he stopped and listened as Quinn sang to her self in the shower. She was quiet enough and she thought that he wouldn't be able to hear her, but Puck pressed his ear against the door and listened to her.

"I don't care just where you go, as long, as long as it's with me. I don't mind just what you do, as long, as long as it's with me, too. Well I get told to never get old, but the way it unfolds I'm a little garçon in my head, with a little fille that's stuck in bed Well I get told to never get old, but the way it unfolds, I'm a little garçon in my head, with a little fille that's stuck in bed."

He smiled to himself. To Puck, she sounded like a total angel and he knew that as the time passed, he would be playing that song, in her voice, in his head all day long.

_Happiness is hearing a girl sing a song about her happiness._

* * *

"That's not fair!" Quinn yelled out with a joyous laugh. "You cheated!" The two friends were playing a board game - Clue, to be specific. They were on the floor, sitting on opposite sides of a stained wood coffee table that was placed in front of her couch in the living room. Quinn believed deeply that Puck had seen the cards before they started playing and already knew that it was Mr. Green in the dining room with the lead pipe.

"You can't cheat at Clue, Q." At this point her face was bright red from all of her laughter and she didn't even know what she was exactly laughing about. She was letting her hair down and having fun, even if it was with one person and over a stupid board game. It made Puck feel amazing that she was letting go for once since she had been known to be uptight all the time.

She stopped laughing and glared at him for a few seconds before showing a small, half grin. She scooped up a few game pieces and slowly chucked them at Puck from across the coffee table. His faced dropped of all expression until he raised on eyebrow at her and got up in a hurry, headed to her side of the table. "You think you're hilarious, huh?" He started laughing as he threw the rest of the pieces at her, being careful enough to not hit her face or throw the pieces too hard. Their laughter started up again with a sheer vengeance and he pulled her up off of the ground. She came closer to his face and bit her lip until she jumped on the couch and whipped a pillow in his direction. Lucky for him, he caught it midair and threw it back at her, trying to knock her down from her standing position on the couch.

_Happiness is hearing your favorite person's laugh._

_Happiness is seeing your favorite person in a fit of giggles._

This game of theirs went on for a good ten minutes. They chased each other around the entire apartment until they came to a truce. A truce where they ended up only a few inches away from each other. She let out a nervous giggle before leaning in closer. Their eyes stayed connected the entire time and those few moments seemed to last hours to the two of them. There was intensity burning in their eyes, showing each other that they wanted so much more than friendship. Puck leaned in and tried to taste her lips, but she turned away and refused once more. He groaned as she pulled back and decided to lean her head into her chest and hug him tightly. "Sorry," she said in an almost inaudible voice, "maybe that's not such a good idea."

Puck nodded his head and placed a hand on the small of her back and the other on the back of her neck and held her close to him. While there, Quinn inhaled every ounce of him. She knew what she wanted, but she was too scared to have it. They never had a good track record, but she wanted this time to be different. Why push things when there was no need to? He was here and for now, from the looks of it, he was wrapped around her finger and didn't plan on leaving any time soon. He tangled his fingers in her hair, wrapping strands of it around his finger in gentle motions. "It's getting late," he acknowledged. In fact, the clock in front of him read 2:47 a.m. She had to get up and go to classes at nine and then work the rat of the day. "I should go home," he frowned.

"Or," Quinn raised her eyebrows at him, "you could stay here again." She knew that he'd accept her invite, but at the same time, Puck felt bad for leaving Sam for another night. While Quinn had lived alone since coming to New York, Sam had always had Brittany right by his side. And from the small chat he had with him earlier, he didn't seem to be in the best of moods.

Yet, her invite made his heart race and he couldn't deny any piece of her whether it was her expressions, the tone of her voice, the sways of her walk, the taste of her lips, or the look of her body. Since freshman year until now, he was utterly hooked and didn't want to leave. He knew what he wanted and so did she. They hoped that they could wake up every morning next to each other, so why not start now? Puck grabbed her by the wrist and lead her into the bedroom where she put on sweatpants and he stripped down to boxers so they could climb back into bed together. Quinn laid on her side and Puck cuddled right up next to her and stoked her arm until they drifted off to sleep.

_Happiness is falling asleep, knowing that you and your love were thinking the same pleasant thoughts of the present and the future. _

_Happiness is knowing what you want and going for it._

_Overall, most of the time, happiness is a warm bed shared by two people._

* * *

**A/N: **Hello again, dears. I'm sorry that this chapter sucks, but it's late and I have spent all weekend trying to finish five projects for school since it's the end of the semester and I need to get those turned in. Since school might be closed tomorrow due the seven degree weather twenty below windshield, I decided to write this chapter. It's kind of fluffy, but I didn't have any ideas in mind. If you'd like to, I will now be taking requests for what you want to see in upcoming chapters. Either leave the requests in the reviews or PM them to me. Also, I know this is a tad OOC, but whatever, I'm going with it for now.

Anyway, please keep favoriting and following this story. And please, please, please leave reviews. Happy readers means a happy writer, correct? I hope you liked this, but even if you didn't, it's just one chapter out of many, right?


	6. Oh, Blindess

Finn walked in to the dimly lit bar and spotted Puck pouring drinks to a pretty little brunette in a red dress. She already looked like she had one too many due to her boyfriend standing behind her, handling her as if he was her bodyguard. Puck was getting a kick out of it, snickering underneath his breath. If he would've even tried to flirt with her, his face would probably be bashed into the bar by her boyfriend. Finn stood by idly as he waited for the girl to leave and hoped that Puck wouldn't dare to try anything.

After a few more moments, the girl stumbled away back to her booth of equally drunk girls in very revealing, bright-colored dresses. On her way back, she tripped over her own feet, making her foot, which was clad in high heels, slip under her. She probably sprained her ankle, but laughed it off and limped away.

"Hey!" Finn smiled at his friend. They still had yet to hang out with just the guys, no women attached to them.

"What can I get you, my man?" The mohawked man seemed in high spirits. It was Friday night and everyone in Manhattan was hitting the bars for the rest of the weekend. This, for Puck, meant lots of good tips and a fantastic paycheck. Well, it also meant him getting to laugh as fights broke out and tons of pretty women to look at.

Finn ended up ordering a beer and making small talk with his longtime friend. They laughed as they saw their past selves in full-grown men's bodies. Some naïve, others the company's bully, and some understanding and wanting to try new things because they cared too much. They both wondered if those thirty-something year-old men were ever going to grow up seeing as Finn and Puck were in their early twenties and have come a long way since high school.

"So," Finn said as Puck poured his second beer into a tall, clear glass "I heard you spend a few nights at Quinn's." He smiled, but Puck's face was expressionless. He looked like he was trying not to smile. He didn't want to show his feelings too much.

"Yeah? What about it?" He flashed Finn a cocky half-smile and raised his brow. It was an accomplishment. "That apartment must get pretty lonely. It's too big for one little person." Finn laughed it off. He could see what Puck was trying to do - trying to come off as it was a booty call and nothing but that.

Finn stared his hands that were cupped around his beer. He turned it left and right, trying to find the right words to say, but he could only think of one thing. He looked up at his buddy, with that concern of a big brother look and suddenly turned serious. "Be careful with her," he sighed. "She's kind of fragile, you know? Blondie always thinks she can take care of herself, but she's a lot frailer than she looks. Just.. Don't toy with her."

Puck nodded at him and looked down, gulping, and finally opened his mouth. "You know why I haven't been hitting on any drunken girl who wobbles her way up here?" He asked. Finn shook his head. "It's because I actually care about her," he paused to take a look around the bar. It was as if he didn't want anyone, not even Finn, hearing these words coming out of his mouth. "I want to be with her, man. I've felt that way ever since we met." He sighed and shook his head. Maybe it was time for him to pour a beer of his own.

"I'm truly glad to hear that." Finn smiled at Puck who looked ashamed of what he'd just said. Either way, Finn needed to know the truth and not some fickle lie. "I will beat your ass if you hurt her." He started to chuckle, but Pucks smile turned into a frown.

"And what if she hurts me?!" He pouted.

"I'm not up to hitting chicks, so I'll leave that one to Santana." Finn winked at his friend as they busted into hearty laughter picturing Santana and Quinn in a violent quarrel. "So," he looked back down at his glass, "not to get all sappy or anything, but I hope it works out between the two of you. You were definitely made for each other." Puck genuinely smiled at his comment right as the Unholy Trinity walked through the door of the bar. Both of them stared. It wasn't the right time; they were in the middle of talking about everything under the sun. Was it a coincidence that "Love Is Blindness" came on as soon as Quinn walked up to the bar to greet the boys? Probably not, but it made Puck's heart race at the speed of light. It was as if everyone around them disappeared and everything was in slow motion.

The three girls finally found their spot at the bar, crowding around Finn. Both of the boys slightly smiled at the three of them. They looked good… they _always_ looked good, but something was different tonight, they were all smiling, as if they were happier than they had ever been. Maybe it was because Brittany and Santana were more in love than they had ever been and because Puck moved here to save Quinn from everything bad that had ever happened to her.

"Puckerman," Santana smiled, "pour me some whiskey!" He gave her an odd stare. Though she looked happy, she was ordering the loners drink.

He cocked his head to the side and stared blankly at the girl. "Hard week at work?" It was a guess, but was probably the only explanation about why she ordered the drink.

"You have no idea," she scoffed. The girl was now a photographer, but her real dream was to be a singer. Glee had made her come a long way with her dreams, but she had multiple of them. It was just what she wanted for now and she could move up after she practiced her singing more. She'd spent the time from graduation until now perfecting her voice and learning how to play new instruments, along with taking vocal lessons. That's the one thing she missed about glee: that no one was there to coach her anymore. She missed Schuester because he was the only one who understood her voice and how far she'd be able to go.

"You got it, babe." He winked. Finn shook his head at the pet name. It would always be something between the two that they enjoyed. Santana and he were friends from the beginning, even when they hated each other. Maybe it's just what made them such a great dynamic duo together. They could take over the world together if they really wanted to.

Once Puck handed the drink to her, Quinn leaned over the bar and motioned to Puck to come closer. She didn't want anyone else to hear. "Maybe, after work, you could stay the night again?" Her warm breath felt good on Puck's neck, almost as if it was a tickle that he missed. He smiled down at her and nodded his head in a stealth motion. She sat down back in her seat and talked in a perky voice. "When does your shift end?" Raising his eyebrows, Puck told her that he'd be off at two and it was already going on one. His boss and a coworker usually handled last call where the most drunk costumers would need help to their cabs. _You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here_ was actually the most used term that Puck has ever heard in his short stint at bars.

An hour and a half later, after the trio and Finn had left, Puck hailed a taxi and was on his way to spend the night with Quinn once more. It had become his favorite pastime by now. To him, there was nothing better than falling asleep with her pressed up against him and waking up to her beautiful face some mornings. He wished it could always be that way – that it could always be that simple, but with this couple, it might never be that way and both of them would have to go on and accept it. Maybe they weren't even meant to be a couple, but why does it feel so right to the two? They fought often, they were polar opposites, but they got along in every which way. Quinn may not agree with much that Puck does, but most of the time she lets it slide because if she didn't, she'd probably lose him in an instant even though he's been wrapped around her finger since sophomore year of high school.

He knocked on the door quietly so that he wouldn't disturb the neighbors that seemed to either be out of their apartments or wandering around in the city. She greeted him with a pink silk nightgown. It gave Puck the wrong impression and Quinn noticed immediately. Once again, she had to warn him that it wasn't a good idea for them to be together. It was always like that. Puck was let down, but he didn't show it. Waiting was probably the best thing for them.

He had only been there for a few minutes to chat and she had dragged him into the bedroom right away. The blonde was tired, and quite frankly, so was the mohawked boy. Quinn slid her back onto his front so she was facing away from him while Puck held her and laid his head right against hers as he started singing her to sleep in the softest, most quiet voice that he could.

_A little death, without mourning_  
_No call, no warning_  
_Baby, a dangerous idea, almost makes sense_  
_Love is drowning in a deep web_  
_All the secrets and nobody else to tell_  
_Take the money, why don't you honey – blindness _  
_Love is blindness, I'm so sick of it_  
_I don't wanna see_  
_Why don't you take the night_  
_And wrap it all around me now,_  
_Oh my love, blindness_  
_Oh, I'm too numb to feel_  
_Blow out the candle – blindness_

Quinn smiled as if she couldn't hear the pain and needing that was in Puck's voice and his song choice. She fell asleep after the song was over and he continued to hum whatever song that came to his mind. Once she was fast asleep, Puck pulled her as close and tight as possible towards him. "Oh, pretty girl. Goodnight." He smiled, gulped, and that was that.

* * *

**A/N:** So, I'm not so sure that I like this chapter, but I re-wrote it a thousand times (or so it seems like...). So I couldn't really write the best chapter out there. I know you guys want a lot of Quinn and Puck together, but this is the best that I could do together. At least they were in the end, right? I wanted to include Finn in this chapter for some reason because him and Puck are one of my brotp's. Love you all. Thank you for the great reviews, follows, and favorites. Please keep going, guys. I love it when you leave comments because it makes me happy! (:


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